Bangalore: Thirty-nine members of a wedding party were killed and 45 injured Thursday when the truck in which they were travelling plunged into a dry lake bed in Hassan district of Karnataka, the police said.
The mishap occurred at 1500 hrs (IST) at Ramnathpura village in Hassan, about 160 km from here.
"The mishap took place when the truck plunged into a dry lake bed from an over bridge after the driver lost control while avoiding high tension wires above," Ramnathpura circle inspector H.P. Basavesh told IANS over phone.
Unconfirmed reports from the district put the toll at 39 and injured at 50.
Police said the dead include 12 women and eight children.
The injured have been admitted to a government hospital at Arakulgud, about 20 km from the accident spot. Those in critical condition have been rushed to district hospital at Hassan, about 25 km away from Ramnathpura.
"About 100-120 people were travelling in the open truck, which was on way to the village temple for a wedding feast. The truck originated from the adjacent Basavanahalli village, carrying the commuters," Basavesh said.
According to an eyewitness, the truck fell into the lake bed from a height of 30 feet after the driver was reversing the vehicle to avoid hitting low-hanging power lines overhead.
The district police said that commuting by trucks, though common in the countryside, was illegal.
"People risk their life by boarding trucks and mini vans due to poor public transport and absence of private buses on time during the day," Basavesh lamented.
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